


Mutual Friend

by fangirl_squee



Category: The Thrilling Adventure Hour
Genre: F/M, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 12:36:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5869819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl_squee/pseuds/fangirl_squee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frank does his good friend Lucy Parker a favour and makes a Very Important acquaintance as a result.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mutual Friend

**Author's Note:**

> based on the tumblr prompt “hOOOoooOo shit, so you’re the older sibling my best friend always talks about hahah wow tHEY NEVER BOTHERED TELLING ME YOU WERE THIS HOT” bc I Will Not Rest until we have all the traditional cliche aus for this fandom.
> 
> Thanks to Sophie for betaing (and neat historical notes).

Frank undid his tie for what felt like the hundredth time, trying to re-tie it in a way that looked as if it might be worn by a respectable gentleman and not a broke paranormal investigator.

Lucy Parker, looking equally uncomfortable in her own formalwear, watched him from her spot in her dressing room’s high-backed leather chair. She had called upon him in an hour of need, making it sound over the phone as if she was in desperate danger instead of merely needing a date for the evening. If Frank hadn’t owed her several favors for getting him out of several dozen tight spots he wouldn’t have even considered it.

The tie, along with the suit he was wearing, were borrowed by way of Lucy’s intimate friends, and seemed to be fighting him every step of the way. If he didn’t know better, he would have sworn angry spirits were at play instead of nerves.

“I still don’t see why you need _me_ to be your escort,” said Frank.

“Because otherwise mother will find someone else to accompany me and I’d far prefer your company over some banker’s son,” said Lucy.

“As long as I don’t have to dance. You know I absolutely do _not_ dance.”

“No, all I need you to do is stand somewhat near me and glare at any man who attempts to flirt his way into my good graces.”

Frank glared at the tie, undoing it to start again.

“Yes,” said Lucy, not attempting to suppress the enjoyment she was getting over his struggle, “give them that exact expression.”

Frank ran his hands through his hair. “If all you need me to do is stand and glare, I don’t see why I couldn’t have worn my own suit.”

“Because your suit, as dashing as you may look in it, will not get past the attendants at the party, and it defeats the purpose if you get kicked out as soon as we arrive.” Lucy sighed and stood up. “Here, let me do that.”

Lucy finished the knot in a few swift movements. “There.”

Frank tugged at his collar.

“Oh, come now, it’s not _that_ torturous, is it?” asked Lucy. Then, in a less certain tone, she added, “it’s only for a couple of hours.”

Frank gave her a crooked smile. “We can leave as early as you like.”

Lucy returned his smile a little half-heartedly. “Thanks, Frankie.”

-

Lucy rarely spoke of her parents to Frank. Sometimes they featured in a humorous anecdote about sneaking someone in or out of her bedroom, but more often than not Frank felt they were mentioned by their absence - stories from her youth lacked their presence, and they rarely came up in casual conversation in any detail.

Frank didn’t pry. He wasn’t one to talk about his own family and, after all, her parents weren’t any part of Lucy’s life as he’d seen it (not that he would have expected to see them in underground boxing matches or the clubs he and Lucy frequented together. As such, he had been expecting two people who, while reserved in their nature, were like Lucy in their easy humour.

Lucy’s parents were decidedly _not_ so.

As far as Frank could tell, the Parker family resemblance stopped at the physical. His first meeting with Lucy had been all easy camaraderie, laughing as they evaded someone-or-other and not minding too much about the grime on their coats. Mr and Mrs Parker looked as if they had never gotten grime anywhere on their persons, let alone while hiding from a figure of authority. Mr Parker in particular looked as if he must have been an authority figure since birth, and Mrs Parker looked as if she would have liked to wipe her hand on something after he took it in greeting.

After some of the most unpleasant pleasantries Frank had ever endured, Lucy managed to point her parents in the direction of another arriving family member, freeing the both of them to head for the bar.

“Well,” said Frank, after he’d knocked back a whiskey, “I don’t suppose that could have gone any worse.”

Lucy laughed, sounding a little hysterical. “No, I don’t suppose it could have.”

Frank signalled for refill. “And we have to be here for a few _hours_?”

Lucy sipped her drink. “At least.”

“How do you survive these things?”

“Well, ordinarily I try to find a decent distraction,” said Lucy, giving a small wave to a woman across the room. 

“One of your decent distractions, I presume.”

“Oh, she’s more than decent,” said Lucy, smiling into her drink.

Across the room, the woman Lucy was staring at pointedly separated herself from the conversation she was having and smiled at Lucy.

Frank sighed. “Go on.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t,” said Lucy, “I’m not the kind of gal who brings someone to a place like this and then just abandons them.”

“You’re not abandoning me, I’ll be right here with my good friend the open bar,” said Frank, “after all, liquor has always been my favourite distraction.”

“Are you sure?” said Lucy.

Frank gestured across the room with his glass. “Go.”

Lucy brightened immediately, giving Frank the first solid smile he’d seen from her all night. “I owe you one.”

Lucy and the woman sat together across the room from Frank, talking and giggling together. Frank kept an occasional eye on them, his focus on taking advantage of the open bar. The other guests seemed to be avoiding him, but as long as no one kicked him out Frank could handle that.

It was, of course, too good to last. Frank looked over to see a man looming over Lucy. Given her body language, he didn’t think this gentleman was providing as pleasant a distraction as the woman had been.

He signalled for a refill, moving as quickly as possible towards Lucy. Unfortunately, having his focus both on not spilling the drink and trying to catch Lucy’s attention that he was on his way meant that he didn’t have the focus left over to see someone in his path until he’d spilt his drink all over her.

“I am so sorry,” said Frank, using his borrowed handkerchief to try and lessen the damage.

The whiskey had gone all over the bottom half of her dress, the creamy silk of her slip immediately soaked with the liquid.

Frank ran a hand down his face. He’d been there less than half an hour and he had _absolutely_ cemented Lucy’s parents’ idea of him as a terrible influence on their daughter. Now this lady would complain about him the whole night, and probably get him banned from any future gatherings, and then Lucy would have to bring some bore of a man as her date instead, and she’d be so -

His train of thought stopped short as he looked up at the person upon whom he’d spilled his drink and his thoughts stuttered to a halt. “Oh my god.”

“I prefer Sadie, actually,” said the absolute vision of a woman, smiling at him.

Frank swallowed, attempting to find his voice. “I am so _very_ sorry, really.”

“It’s perfectly all right, darling,” said Sadie, “after all, whiskey is among my favourite things.”

“But not your most favourite?”

“Oh no, I try to keep that spot open for more interesting things, I -” Her gaze flicked behind him and she frowned. “Excuse me.”

“I - oh.”

Frank watched her walk quickly away. She headed for another woman in a bright blue dress, linking arms with her and leading her away from the two men she had been speaking with. The two men made a move to follow, but Sadie and the woman quickly disappeared into the powder room, leaving the men sulking outside.

Giving the door to the powder room one last, lingering look, Frank went to refill his drink.

“I see your night has taken an interesting turn,” said Lucy, coming up to lean on the bar next to him.

Frank groaned. “No doubt your parents really are plotting to kick me out of this joint now.”

“Perhaps, I mean it is the sort of thing they would take as a personal offence.”

“I can agree with them that a spilled drink is an offence of the highest order, so it’s hard to fault them there.”

“Well, that too, but I meant the person you spilled the drink on.”

“Sadie,” said Frank, sighing a little at the memory.

“Yes, she tends to have that effect on people.”

Frank set down his drink, a serious action considering the glass was still half-full. “Wait a minute, you _know_ her?”

Lucy stared at Frank for a moment, her eyes widening. “You mean -” and then she started to laugh. She covered her mouth, trying to quiet the sound, making an obvious effort to control herself and failing.

“Do I _know_ her? Frank, my darling dear, that is my _sister_ , of _course_ I know her. One might say it’s one of the requirements of us being related,” said Lucy, as she got herself under control.

“Well you didn’t tell me she was so - so ...”

Frank trailed off. Words seemed so inadequate to describe her.

“Well, ordinarily I don’t have to. You really didn’t know who she was? Oh _wow_ , Sade’ll get a kick out of this, it’s not every day she meets someone who doesn’t know her.”

-

In the powder room, Donna passed her slip over the top of the stall to Sadie. Sadie peeled the sodden fabric off and dropped it carelessly to the floor.

“I hope it’s not too short on you.”

“Oh that’s no matter,” said Sadie, “It might make the night more interesting if it is.”

“Tonight’s interesting enough already,”, said Donna, her voice muffled slightly as she pulled her own dress back over her head.

“If those two boys are giving you that much trouble darling I _can_ have them thrown out.”

Donna sighed. “Oh there’s no need to be that drastic, Sade, I’m sure they’ll calm down. I suppose I just underestimated the effect of my thrall. I’m still working on the right level and it just got away from me. I’ll go see if they’re still outside.”

There was the sound of the door being cracked open and the quickly shut again.

“It look like they’re just… waiting.” Donna sighed, “I wonder how long this stuff takes to wear off?”

Sadie smoothed down the outer netting of her gown. It would perhaps look a _little_ odd with the short bright blue slip underneath but it was better than spending the night in sodden silk, at least in a public setting.

“Donna, darling,” said Sadie, opening the stall door, “perhaps you could try changing the level of thrall over them?”

“But what if I push it too far and they just come bursting in here,” said Donna, “they’re dreadful bores, but I’d still hate to have to hurt them too badly.”

Sadie took Donna’s hands. “I’m sure it won’t come to that. You focus your vampiric powers and I’ll peek out and let you know when to stop.”

Donna smiled nervously. “Well, okay.”

Sadie cracked the door open as far she could without attracting the attention of the rest of the party. The two gentlemen in Donna’s thrall were indeed still sulking around close by, nodding blankly as a friend of her father’s talked at them.

_Bores of a feather flock together_ , thought Sadie.

“Is it working?” asked Donna.

“Not yet, Donna darling,” said Sadie, “perhaps just a little more?”

After a moment, one of the men shook himself and the other gave a small start, as though they’d both been startled by something unseen.

“Oooh Donna, I think it worked!”

“Oh, thank goodness,” said Donna, leaning on the sink.

“Yes,” said Sadie, “they’re heading away towards - _oh_.”

“Oh no,” said Donna, “did it reverse itself?”

“No, nothing like that darling,” said Sadie, distractedly, “My sister appears to know that handsome man who spilled his drink on me.”

“Really?” said Donna, pushing the door open a little wider so she could peer out too.

The man was leaning against the bar with Lucy, who was laughing at something he was saying.

“Oh! Sadie, that’s Frank Doyle! He’s that,” Donna waved a hand, searching for the right term, “supernatural detective guy I told you about who came to see me after I got vampired.”

“Do you think he’s as good at drinking as he is at spilling?” asked Sadie thoughtfully.

“More, if what my coven said about him is true,” said Donna. She smiled up at Sadie and nudged her gently in the side. “You should get Lucy to introduce you.”

“Yes,” said Sadie, drawing the word out, “I think I’ll do just that.”

Sadie cut smoothly through the party towards the bar, followed by Donna. Several people tried to flag her attention and had to be swiftly dodged. She could feel Frank’s eyes on her as she approached and met his gaze. It was hard to tear her eyes away from his to greet her sister.

“Lucy!” said Sadie, “I feel as if we’ve barely seen each other tonight, darling.”

Lucy smiled. “Hello Sadie, we were just talking about you.”

“We?” said Sadie innocently.

“Yes, Sadie, this is my friend Frank Doyle,” said Lucy, “you might remember him from bumping into you earlier. Frank, this is my sister Sadie and her friend Donna Donner.”

“Charmed,” said Sadie, offering her hand.

“Oh, don’t worry,” said Frank, taking her hand, “I am.”

“Would you like to dance Frank?” asked Sadie.

“Frank doesn’t dance,” said Lucy, grinning at him.

“No?” said Sadie, “What a shame.”

Frank made a choking noise. “I’m sure I can make an exception for you, Sadie.”

“I’m afraid that an exception just won’t do darling,” said Sadie, “I’m quite sure that I will want more than the one dance.” 

“Then you will simply be the exception that proves the rule,” said Frank.

Sadie laughed. “I do like the sound of that.”

With that, she pulled him towards the dance floor. It was an easy enough this to do - Frank wanted nothing more than to follow her, and he found that she hadn’t let go of his hand since he’d taken it.

As Lucy would point out much, much later in her speech at their wedding, they didn’t dance so much as swayed to the music while close together before suspiciously disappearing for the rest of the night.

“My favourite kind of dancing,” Sadie added.

“What a coincidence love,” said Frank, “it is mine as well.”

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi: mariusperkins.tumblr.com


End file.
